A long route from Congo to Canada, but family now has home

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 7/12/2012 (1463 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly a decade after fleeing the violence in Congo, the Mulimbwa family finally has a place to call home.

On Tuesday, the family of nine arrived in Winnipeg on freezing night to a warm welcome at the airport after waiting for years as refugees in limbo in Kampala, Uganda. The family was sponsored in 2006 by the First Presbyterian Church through Hospital House Refugee Ministry. Church member Martin Mulimbwa arrived in 2000 as a government-sponsored refugee then sponsored his mom and three brothers to come to Canada.

The Winnipeg brothers had been trying for years to bring their uncle Bahati, who raised them when their father was killed in Congo, to Canada with his wife Esperance and seven kids. On Tuesday, it happened. The four oldest of the children, who range in age from 25 to 12, were a well-known gospel hip-hip group called Bahatizz that performed in churches around Uganda.

They’ve already got gigs here lined up this Sunday. Just days ago, the family was welcomed to Winnipeg by a huge crowd of relatives they hadn’t seen in years and strangers from the church who will no doubt soon become friends. They were bundled up in warm coats and led out into the night to start their new life in their new home.

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments.
All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.